Designers of electric machines such as vehicle alternators, for example, are continuously striving to increase the power density of such machines. As space in the engine compartment continues to decrease and the number of electrically powered devices used onboard vehicles increases the need for generating more electrical power in less space grows.
Increasing the power density, however, causes increases in leakage of magnetic flux. This increased leakage is due to the small sizes of the flux handling components, the small spaces therebetween and the greater flux levels being handled. Such flux leakage may limit the power density of the machine. Accordingly, the art is receptive of electrical machines with high levels of power density.